As businesses become more distributed, effective communication becomes vital for successful teamwork. By 2030, around 80% of business tasks will be outsourced to professional service firms and technology. This means teams will work across locations, time zones, and ways—whether in the office, from home, or a mix of both.
To grow and evolve with this transition, businesses need to adopt new communication technologies. Tasks like planning work, allocating tasks, and managing project schedules are all crucial for making distributed work successful. Having a smooth communication process is key to making all this work well together.
Here are some key strategies to master communication with distributed teams:
Find Your Tools: Combine and use popular tools like Slack, Loom, or Microsoft Teams to chat, video chat, and share files with your team in real-time. It’s like having a virtual water cooler, but better! And don’t forget project management tools to keep track of who’s doing what and when it’s due. It’s like building a roadmap for success!
Document, Centralize and Keep Talking About It: Document important processes and store them in a centralized location for easy accessibility. Create video explainers to avoid any misunderstandings. Set aside time to talk about these processes during team quarterly meetings. Get feedback on how they are working and what could be done better. Getting everyone involved in how the company can be better. That’s teamwork!
Encourage Social Interaction: Foster a sense of camaraderie and connection among team members by organizing virtual social events, informal chats, or team-building activities created around shared interests. Building strong relationships fosters better communication and collaboration, people who like each other, like working together. That leads to better outcomes.
Set Clear Expectations: Establish transparent communication protocols and set clear expectations regarding response times, availability, and preferred communication methods. Build trust across teams so they know they can count on each other.
Consider Time Zones: Remain mindful of time zone differences when scheduling meetings or coordinating tasks. Utilize scheduling tools to identify suitable meeting times that accommodate the availability of team members across different time zones.
By implementing these strategies, organizations can cultivate a cohesive and communicative distributed team capable of thriving now and in the future of work.